A multi-step transmission typically has a planetary gearset which changes a path in which engine torque is transmitted by various combinations of friction coupling elements so as to place the automatic transmission in, for instance, four forward gears and a reverse gear. Such an automatic transmission is well known from, for instance, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 62-100,357.
In an automatic transmission which has an increased number of shiftable gear ratios, for example five forward gear ratios, it is necessary to arrange a plurality of friction coupling elements in the automatic transmission differently from the manner in which the elements of a four forward gear ratio automatic transmission are arranged. From a manufacturing aspect, friction coupling elements of automatic transmissions should be compatible with automatic transmissions having different numbers of shiftable gear ratios. However, although automatic transmissions having different numbers of gear ratios have some friction coupling elements which are commonly useable, these common friction elements are not always identical in arrangement.